File Import / Export

TDS RAW Files - TPC tracks the changes TDS has made in the way it stores backsight reference azimuths in the RAW data format used by the Ranger and Recon. This means less checking and editing when you import these files into your survey.

MicroSurvey Genius Files - TPC now includes a separate listing for the MicroSurvey data collectors which use the TDS RAW file format.

MS Excel CSV Files - Now you can write a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file in a single command from the Point View, Survey View or Traverse View. Double click the CSV file TPC writes and Windows will launch Excel and open the file. There's your data - right in the spreadsheet.

User Defined Raw Data Files - Use this new file format to import and export raw data just like you've been doing for years with ASCII coordinate data. It works the same as the ASCII files but with raw data instead of coordinates.

Sharing TRV Files With Others - Toggle this new option on in the Save As dialog to share your survey files with others. TPC includes the definition of many objects like point symbols right in the file so when you share your surveys with others, they have the same point symbol and line type definitions you have.

Point Codes

Survey Point Properties - You can now use the Point Codes to set the Survey Point Properties of the corresponding points. Set the symbol, size and color of all the Catch Basin points even if you don't sort them into traverses. This new feature eliminates the need to create separate traverses for many of the points you typically include in a drawing.

Point Code Alias - The Point Code View now includes an Alias column which allows you to put any number of codes into one traverse. Combine all your utility codes into a single traverse. Now you can easily turn all the utilities on or off in a drawing or export them to a separate layer when you write a DWG file.

Copy Point Code Quick View Settings - Now you can select a point code in the Point Code View and copy its Quick View settings to any number of other point codes. This is a really fast way to get your codes just the way you want them.

Updating Codes by Traverse - So you've sorted your points into traverses but now you've collected additional points. How do you update your survey so that it includes the new points without starting all over?

The answer is the Tools, Update Point Code Traverses command which was previously available only from the Survey View. Now you can call this command from the Traverse View and update the points in just that traverse. This is a great way to keep your project current each day as you collect more data. It's just another way traverses come in handy.

Drawings

32 Drawings per Survey - TPC now allows up to 32 drawing per survey, double the old limit of 16. Who would have thought we would ever create this many separate drawings in a survey, yet we do it all the time.

Drawing File Names - Now when you export a drawing file, TPC uses both the survey and drawing name in the file name. Working with names like Job1AsBuilt.EMF making it easier to identify which drawings are in which files.  Of course you can modify the names however you want before writing the file.

'Traverse PC' Plot Mark - Have you noticed the small 'Traverse PC' plotted beneath the lower left-hand corner of the border? You can now place the 'Traverse PC' plot mark inside the border if needed.  TPC even moves it over as needed to accommodate rounded corners in the border.

Quick View

User Defined Symbols - You can now add your own point symbols, remove any predefined symbols you don't typically use, rename the existing symbols and use relative paths to locate the symbols you do use.

TPC V8.5 gives you access to the TpcSymbols.dat file that defines these symbols plus lets you create your own UserSymbols.dat file to define your own symbols.

Many of you will want to edit the symbol names that appear automatically in your legends. Even just capitalizing the symbol names can save you time.

Italics and Bold Italics Font Style - We've added Italics and Bold Italics font styles. Italics draws text at a 15° slant, very close to the old Leroy lettering for that authentic old-fashion look when you want it.

Underline and Strikeout Fonts - You can underline and strikeout text objects in the Properties dialog.

Pan with Drag-n-Drop - Just drag-n-drop the survey to pan in Quick View. You'll do this almost without thinking about it. If you have a wheel mouse, set TPC to zoom with the wheel and pan with the left button. Now you can pan and zoom more easily with your mouse than ever before.

Zoom Retention - TPC V8.5 retains the drawing zoom as you move between drawing commands.  It even retains the zoom when you open and close Traverse Views. It just feels so much better.

Interactive COGO Functions - Now you can select two points in Quick View and choose COGO, Random Inverse to display the inverse between them.  Or select a line, then right click any number of points right in Quick View to get their offsets to that line. Many of the Quick View COGO commands work just like this-you'll love it!

Fixed Object Snap Size - The circle cursor drawn by the Object Snap mode now retains its fixed size as you zoom in and out, making it easier to select hard to get objects.

Added Drawing Menu to Context Menu - We've added the Drawing menu to the context menu. Right click on Quick View and choose Drawings to rename a drawing, switch to a different drawing or start a new one.

Faster Zoom Window - Zoom Window and other commands are much faster now thanks to new technology from Microsoft.

Storing Blocks - Choose File, Save As and turn on the 'Share File With Others' and TPC will include all block definitions in the DRV file.

Traverse View

Now you can select the point type from any highlighted cell. In fact, TPC V8.5 uses the same context menu regardless of which column is highlighted.

Choose the View, Export CSV File command to write the traverse data to a MS Excel spreadsheet file.  It honors the 'Single Row' setting so that the CSV file will have either one or two rows per point-just like the Traverse View.

When you open a Traverse View, Quick View now uses the Traverse Settings (vs temporary Drawing Settings) when displaying the traverse. You can switch to Drawing Settings as needed.

When editing the Traverse View format, TPC now reconciles any differences between the Edit and Display sequence by adding any letters in the Edit Sequence to the Display Sequence if needed.

Survey View

The new Point Code column shows which point codes, if any, individual traverse where created from, making it easier to update existing traverse with new points. Now you can use the Update Point Code Traverses command even on traverses that were not created with point codes.  If you ever start your drawings then go out and collect more data, this is a must have feature.

TPC V8.5 also adds the Delete Traverse command to the context menu of the Survey View.

Point View

The Point View can now sort points based on their Count, Status and Origin in addition to their point labels, descriptions and coordinates. These options make it easier to manage points by grouping similar points together.

New COGO Functions - TPC V8.5 lets you execute some of the most common COGO commands right from the Point View plus it puts the highlighted point right in the dialog for you.

Extras

You can now specify your own Closed Loop tolerance in the Tools, Program Settings, Limits dialog.  This percentage determines how much error a traverse can have and still be a closed loop. Once you select a closure type from the Closure View TPC locks the traverse into that type and no longer sets the closure type automatically.

You'll find new equation options to add an angle to a bearing like N20d30'30"E-10 which will subtract 10 degrees from the bearing. You can also add multiple distances like 50+50+60.